At the same time, the Huo family mansion in Deep Water Bay was also brightly lit, but the air here was filled with a completely different, excited atmosphere.
In the study, Huo Zhenting was like a rooster that had been injected with chicken blood, pacing excitedly in front of the huge rosewood desk, holding a stack of documents tightly in his hands, his knuckles turning white from the force.
That was the summary document recording the shares of the Hong Kong Land Development held by the Huo family, including his own share and other investment entities controlled by the family. The clear number "9.8%" on it made him excited.
"9.8%! Daddy!" Huo Zhenting's voice was a little distorted with excitement. He waved the document in his hand vigorously. "We're at a full 9.8%! That's a full 2.3 percentage points higher than that kid Xiaolin Tianwang's 7.5%! And that's just for now!"
He walked quickly to Fok Ying-tung, his eyes gleaming with extreme excitement. "Tomorrow! As soon as the market opens tomorrow! I bet that Hong Kong's share price will plummet due to the 'various rumors' spread by Jardine Matheson's boss Newbigin and Kobayashi Tenmo's decision to halt the acquisition! HSBC will definitely exercise its mortgage rights and force the sale of the 20% stake pledged by Jardine Matheson!"
"Twenty percentage points! Daddy! How much can we get? Even if we only take one-third, no! Even if it's only half! Add to that the nearly 10% we already have... then control of the Landmark Group will completely belong to our Huo family!"
Fok Chun-ting had already pictured victory in his mind: he'd stand atop the newly completed Landmark in Central, overlooking Victoria Harbour, announcing that the company would change its name to Fok! Countless flash cameras were focused on him, and newspapers' front pages boasted the largest headline: "Fok's Family Swallows Up Landmark, Chinese Capital Breaks Through the British Stronghold!"
What a grand occasion! What a historic event! It was enough to make Kobayashi Tenmo, a nouveau riche known only for his tabloids and stock trading, look like dirt beneath his feet! This sense of honor and accomplishment made his blood boil.
He couldn't help but confirm with his father again, "Dad, we'll take the 20% that HSBC closes tomorrow. Add to that the 9.8% we already have, plus those Chinese allies you've contacted... and the situation will be stable, right? That Xiaolin Tianwang won't be around for much longer!"
Huo Yingdong put down the jade gallbladder he was playing with, and the warm jade made a slight clinking sound. He looked at Huo Zhenting's face, which was glowing with excitement, and the helplessness in his heart after the comparison deepened.
This kid, in terms of qualifications, resources, and starting point, is every bit as much a hundred times better than Lin Huowang? Yet, in terms of depth of calculation and determination, the gap is more than a level.
"Zhen Ting," Huo Yingdong's voice remained steady. "Let's stop here for tonight. Put away the shareholding documents. The real deal will happen when the market opens tomorrow morning."
"I understand! I understand! I need to conserve my energy!" Huo Zhenting agreed, but his body didn't move. His eyes gleamed with absolute confidence in victory. "Daddy, your trick is amazing! You're using the quarrel between me and that Xiaolin Tianwang as a smokescreen to cover up our real plan to swallow up the land!"
"Yingzi? Shen Bi? Newbijian? I'm afraid they've all been kept in the dark until now! They're still laughing at the jokes of me and that little Japanese! How could they have imagined that what our Huo family is really after is the crown jewel of Hong Kong Land!"
Huo Yingdong did not refute or explain, but simply waved his hand again, his tone unquestionable: "Go and rest."
He watched his son leave the study with such determined excitement, the heavy wooden door closing behind him. The study was suddenly plunged into a silence with the lingering fragrance of agarwood, with only the ticking of the antique clock on the wall being clearly audible.
Huo Yingdong leaned back in his chair, slightly closed his eyes, and a helpless smile appeared on his face. He recalled the secret meeting with Lin Huowang at the "Tingtao Pavilion" two days ago. The young man's expression when he said firmly that he would let Newbigin personally "deliver the Hong Kong Land Group to his doorstep."
At the time, while Fok Ying-tung didn't express his complete opposition, he felt that Lam's plan was a pipe dream. Even Fok Ying-tung hadn't dared to touch the property until Lam's plan was revealed. At the time, Fok Ying-tung felt that the young man was overly ambitious and his plan was too risky.
Being able to join forces with the Huo family and secretly acquire enough shares in Hong Kong Hong Kong without revealing their true relationship was already an astonishing achievement. But Lin Huowang was not satisfied with this.
If the two joint-stock companies combined to surpass Jardine Matheson, the British would understand that Lin Huowang, like the Fok family, sided with the mainland to the north. This would be tantamount to completely exposing their position and breaking with the British. Every subsequent move in Hong Kong would be subject to the same scrutiny and pressure from the British, just like the Fok family today.
In order to maintain the image of "Xiao Lin Tian Wang" as being opposed to the Fok family, "neutral" and even leaning towards British capital, Lin Huowang chose to do the opposite. Not only did he want to control Hong Kong Hutchison Whampoa, he also wanted to force Jardine Matheson to beg him to take over! This is not just a big appetite, it is simply crazy!
And now? Ho Ying-tung sighed silently. He had watched Lin Huowang's precise manipulation of the stock market, capitalizing on Ho Chun-ting's jealousy to stir up public opinion, spreading negative news about Jardine Matheson's investment failures to cause panic. His careful, calculated tactics had actually driven the behemoth Jardine Matheson to the brink!
Just now, in front of Fok Chun-ting, he had called HSBC's Samuel Simpson to test his intentions for acquiring the 20% stake pledged by Jardine Matheson the following day. Simpson's evasive, noncommittal response on the other end of the line was like a bucket of ice water, instantly quenching any remaining doubts in Fok Ying-tung's mind.
Lin Huowang's boast that day was no mere boasting. Every word was a precise prediction of his opponent's fate! Far from being exaggerated, he might have underestimated his skills! His calculations had already encompassed Jardine Matheson, HSBC, and even turned the reactions and actions of his own Huo family into pawns on the chessboard!
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